Is there a budgeting app that doesn't need a bank login?

Yes. Power Gap works without linking your bank or screen-scraping. You add income and expenses yourself, so your bank credentials are never shared.

Is Power Gap better than a spreadsheet?

It depends on what you want. A spreadsheet gives you full control but takes ongoing manual effort. Power Gap automates the core calculation — how much you have left to spend — so it's easier to keep using day to day.

Do I have to categorize my spending in Power Gap?

No. Unlike most budgeting apps, Power Gap focuses on a single number — your remaining spendable money — instead of requiring you to sort every transaction into categories.

July 3, 2026·6 min read

Power Gap vs. Budgeting Apps & Spreadsheets

Traditional budgeting apps ask you to link your bank and sort every transaction into categories. Spreadsheets are private but manual and easy to abandon. Power Gap sits in between: it shows one number — how much you have left to spend — with no bank login and no categories, so it stays effortless enough to actually keep using.

The three approaches

Most people manage money in one of three ways: a bank-linked budgeting app, a spreadsheet, or nothing at all. Each has a trade-off between effort, privacy, and how likely you are to stick with it.

Side-by-side comparison

	Power Gap	Budgeting apps	Spreadsheets
Bank login required	No	Usually yes	No
Setup time	Minutes	Moderate	High
Category upkeep	None	Ongoing	Manual
Core focus	Money left to spend	Categorized budgets	Whatever you build
Privacy	iCloud, no accounts	Data on their servers	Your file
Ease of sticking with it	High	Medium	Low

When a traditional budgeting app is a better fit

You want detailed category breakdowns and reports.
You're comfortable linking your bank for automatic imports.
You actively enjoy reviewing and re-categorizing transactions.

When a spreadsheet is a better fit

You want full control over every formula and column.
You already have a system you maintain reliably.
You prefer a one-off template over an ongoing app.

When Power Gap is a better fit

You want one clear number instead of dozens of categories.
You don't want to hand over your bank login.
You've tried other tools and stopped using them because they were too much work.

The bottom line

The best money tool is the one you keep using. Power Gap strips budgeting down to the single question that matters day to day — how much can I safely spend? — and keeps everything private on your iPhone, with no bank login and no categories to maintain.